


A Friend in Need

by 49Times



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Friendship, Humor, LET ALL MY FOUR BABIES BE HAPPY, M/M, Pining, Poe is pathetic, Rey's got his back, Romance, StormPilot's my jam, but Rose is a treasure, but cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-20
Updated: 2017-12-20
Packaged: 2019-02-17 14:05:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13078431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/49Times/pseuds/49Times
Summary: Rey is having a quiet evening in her quarters when she's interrupted by a hot mess by the name of Poe Dameron.Rey/Poe friendship with a hearty side of StormPilot.





	A Friend in Need

**Author's Note:**

> Warning. This is a little ridiculous. If you can't handle a little ridiculous, turn back now.

The door opens with a sliding hiss, and Rey comes face-to-face with a man who she has generally come to see as the epitome of calm, cool and collected.

Sure, she’s heard talk of his hotheadness and she’s seen him pull some crazy stunts in a cockpit, but generally speaking the Poe Dameron she knows has it together.

From what she's seen since her return from Ahch-to, he’s really stepped up as a leader, and he’s someone she felt she could trust from the moment she met him, and what's more, he's someone Leia trusts to run the show when she's needed elsewhere, and that's all the endorsement Rey needs.

She’s seen Poe thrive under pressure, keep his head during the most unpredictable of moments and exude confidence and competence with every stride.

Only... he doesn’t quite seem like any of those things at that moment. She can _feel_ the energy buzzing inside him, the unrest, and for a moment she’s worried something might be wrong.

 

“Poe. What is it? Is everything o-”

 

“It’s fine. It’s fine," he says, and she finds the frenetic energy coming off him jarring. "What are you doing? Can I come in?” he asks, coming in.

 

Rey steps back to avoid being collided with. Her lips give a slight twitch and she raises an eyebrow. “Well- I _was_ meditating, but of course, if there’s something you need, that can wait....”

 

He gives her this frazzled, thousand-parsec stare. “Need- umn. Well. No. Not really. I-” He’s stammering, which again is not exactly typical. He runs a hand through the hair at the back of his head, and paces, pausing here and there to pick up random trinkets she has placed throughout her small room, setting them down quick and moving on to the next.

 

“Right,” she says, confused. “So there’s no….crisis going on then?”

 

Again, he looks strangely shell-shocked. She wonders if he’s suffered a head wound, or if some toxic fluid leaked into the cockpit when he was in his X-Wing training new recruits earlier.

 

“Oh. No. No crisis. I just figured- well, I’ve been busy, obviously, since Leia headed for Uralon and left me in charge and it’s uh, a rare quiet evening and I was just thinking... I haven’t been able to check in with Rey for a while and- I thought maybe we could catch up. See how the whole...Force thing is going? How- how is it going?” he asks, rather weakly. 

 

Rey ogles him. She doesn’t know whether to laugh or call the medbay. Or both. 

 

“You’re asking me how...how the _Force_ is?” she asks, bemused.

 

He seems to realize the absurdity of the question and cringes as she mirrors his bizarre words back at him. “Um. Yeah.”

 

She's baffled. 

“It’s...I mean...it's... Poe, _are you alright_?” she asks.

 

His eyes are wild and he nods a few too many times. “Oh yeah. Yeah. Sure. I’m fine. Like I said, it’s a quiet moment and- well I tracked down that holo I was telling you and Finn about! _Flight of Champions?_ Traded it for my last stash of Nyra crackers. Like I said, it’s cheesy, but uh, I know you both wanted to watch it. And well. Obviously Finn is busy, but uh, we can watch it again, the next time he’s free. It’s got great rewatch value, I’m telling you. But I thought maybe, if you weren't doing anything, you might want to...”

 

Suddenly and obviously, _it clicks._

Rey has to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, because while yes, a part of this is really funny, it’s also actually heartbreaking to have this blindingly bright light shined on what has him so frazzled.

She manages to cover up the amusement, which isn’t hard really, considering what a distracted mess Poe seems to be.

 

“Oh. Yeah. I remember. Sure Poe. I’d love to watch it,” she says, as kindly as she possibly can with all the thoughts firing around in her brain.

 

Because, really, the _Flight of Champions_ conversation had really been more between him and Finn. She had been there, sure, but more as an amused observer as the pair of them yammered on.

And yes, she’s watched a couple of holos with them and has enjoyed them, but really they’re the ones who get manic glee out of the whole thing. For her, the joy really comes from being with her friends and seeing them find moments to relax and have fun amid all the fear and stress that comes with life in the Resistance. She doesn't think she's ever shown enough enthusiasm that Poe would come seek her out to watch them with without Finn being around.

 

But that's kind of the heart of it, what this is all about, and if Poe needs her to watch a silly holo right now to deal with...whatever he's dealing with, she can certainly do that for him.

 

“Great!” he chirps, running over to get it set up. Rey looks at BB-8, who rolled in after Poe and has been observing the whole thing quietly.

 

The little droid is not quiet anymore. He catches her gaze and immediately lets off a string of frantic beeps and whistles, and then Rey can’t hold her laughter back.

 

“No, BB, I don’t think he’s sick. And he's definitely not dying. No, I know, he's acting different. Yes, I thought so for a minute too. But, BB, I think he’s just-”

 

“What’s that?” Poe asks suddenly from where he’s working on starting up the holo. “What are you guys talking about?”

 

Rey considers brushing him off, but decides against it. 

 

“BB-8’s just been expressing some worry about you. He says you’ve been acting like you’ve had your circuits fried all day,” Rey says, and Poe’s mouth falls slightly ajar.

 

“What? No. I’m fine. I’m fine,” he says, and goes back to what he was doing.

 

“He is,” she reassures BB-8. _Mostly._

 

Rey is glad she’s spent so much of her life, both on Jakku and after, practicing patience.

 

She feels that’s the way to approach this situation, and while she can see with enormous clarity what the cause behind Poe’s strange behavior is, she’s not going to rush him. She thinks it will unfold itself fairly quickly without her help. 

 

“All set!” he says, with brightness that seems forced.

 

“Great. I needed a break anyway,” she says, smiling, and sits on her bed with her back against the wall. Poe hops up to join her, and starts the holo.

\---

 

It’s abundantly clear from the start that Poe’s not paying attention to it at all.

Normally, watching a holo with Poe Dameron in the room means non-stop chatter. Laughter at the dumb jokes. Explanations of obscure trivia. Side-notes about that actor, or impassioned ramblings about why the sequel actually improves upon the original. Sarcastic jokes. Saying key lines along with the characters. 

 

But now, he’s utterly quiet, clearly on another plane.

Well, except for near constant jiggling of his leg that’s driving her slightly insane. She can feel it building up inside him, and she decides to let it happen, occasionally glancing at him but mostly watching the story unfold. It is funny. She laughs more than once. She’s certain that if Finn were here, he and Poe would be giggling along like school children.

 

_If Finn were here._

 

Because that’s what this strange evening is really about. She’s had her inklings before, but now it’s clear as glass.

 

Poor Poe.

\---

 

It’s in the third act that he finally cracks.

 

Without warning, he turns to her and says, “So, Finn’s off on his big date, huh?”

 

She's only slightly surprised at how quickly he gets to the point.

 

“Oh, yeah. He headed off a couple of hours ago,” she says. 

 

“That’s...great,” Poe says, his leg continuing to jiggle, his hands twisting around in his lap. “I mean- really great. I could tell...the base needed an official night of R & R. And for once we’re in a place that’s not so remote that people can’t uh, get out and enjoy it.  So it’s great. It’s great they’re taking advantage. Of the R & R... that I told everyone they could have.”

 

Again, it’s a struggle not to smile at how painfully transparent he is, but if he’s trying to attempt a facade of casual, she’s not going to stop him just yet.

 

“Yeah. Everyone’s been working really hard,” she says neutrally. “It was good of you to give us all a break.”

 

She gives him a brief glance, just long enough to catch the dismay and regret written all over his face, before facing forward again. She can tell too much scrutiny is not what he needs right now. And it’s not like she really needs to look, when the emotions are coming off him with _such intensity._ She can see it all in her mind’s eye.

 

“Did he come by here to get ready? He said he was going to.” Poe asks, _almost_ pulling off casual.

 

“Yeah, he did for a bit.”

 

“How- how did he seem? I mean, this has to be a first for him, right? I can’t imagine the First Order letting its soldiers off for… fun times very often. I bet...I bet he's never even been able to eat in a real restaurant before. Did he seem...nervous?”

 

Rey feels a tug at her heart at the questioning. Is this what's been going through his head the entire evening? The entire day? Or week? 

 

“Not really, no,” she says honestly. She won’t lie to him. “It’s not like he doesn’t see Rose every day. I think he was more excited than nervous. To get off base and into the world a bit. Get dressed up.”

 

“I gave him a shirt,” Poe says, and buries his face in his hands.

 

It’s a pitiable image.

 

He seems, at last, to have given up on trying to seem casually cheerful. The agony is coming off him in waves.

 

Again, Rey feels a pang of compassion, but thinks it's best to let Poe guide the direction of the conversation a bit. “I know. I saw. It looked great on him.”

 

“Of course it did,” Poe groans again, the sound muffled by his hands. “I... gave him a shirt. For his date. I knew he wouldn’t have anything appropriate. I mean- I knew he didn't own any clothes that I hadn’t already given him. And so- I gave him a shirt. A nice shirt.”

 

The misery is palpable. 

 

“Yeah,” Rey says, reaching over to pat his arm. “He told me. He was... very grateful. He went on and on about it, really.”

 

“That’s good,” Poe mumbles. “A night out. A nice shirt. He deserves it. And you said he wasn’t nervous?”

 

“No, not really.”

 

“That’s good. I mean, it would be awful, right? If he got...so nervous that he ruined it, or something? That would...that would be terrible. His first date and all.”

 

“Yeah. It would. But I- I think he’ll be fine,” Rey says. She wonders if she should just cut right to it and save them both the agony of this dance around the truth. Maybe then she can give him the hug he so clearly needs. 

 

“Right. Of course. Why wouldn’t he be?” Poe says. Then pauses. She can feel his hesitation, but after a moment, he charges forward, “And Rose is just- so great. Isn’t she?”

 

Again, Rey won’t lie to him. “Yeah. She really is.”

 

“She’s one hell of a brave fighter. And she’s so committed to the Resistance. And _smart_. Really smart. And she’s funny too. She’s just- really great,” Poe says, and it’s like every word is an utter torment.

 

It's too much.

 

“Alright. That’s enough!” Rey bursts out. “I can’t handle ignoring the bantha in the room for another minute. My quarters are too small for this. Let's just- acknowledge what we're really talking about here, yeah?”

 

“What?” Poe says, looking up from his hands at last, perplexed, “What bantha? What do you mean, what we're really talking about?”

 

“Oh, come on, Poe. One doesn’t need to be strong with the Force to pick up it,” she says, with sympathy.

 

“Pick up on...what?” he asks, suddenly looking nervous.

 

She tries not to roll her eyes at that. “The fact that you’re obviously, head-over-heels, mynock-crazy in love with Finn?”

 

“What? What? No. That’s- that’s not-” Poe stammers, and again she reaches over to touch his arm gently. It seems to calm him a bit, at least enough to stop his rambling.

 

She takes the opportunity to give him a very pointed look. A look that says there is absolutely nothing under any sun on an planet that can convince her she’s wrong.

 

"Shit," he mutters.

 

He gives a shaky sigh and sinks further onto her bed, until he’s lying down with his hands over his face and his feet hanging off it.

 

“This is bad. This is really bad, Rey. No. Actually, this is the _worst.”_

 

Well, that seems a tad dramatic to her. 

 

“It’s _not,”_ she says, patting his shoulder.

 

He uncovers his face for long enough to give her a withering stare.

 

“I mean it!” she says. “I’m guessing this is the first time you've ever admitted it aloud?”

 

“Well...yeah,” he mutters. “Yeah.”

 

“Good," she says briskly. "Then you’ve made the first step towards doing something about it.”

 

Poe sits up so fast it almost gives _her_ whiplash. He rounds on her, “What do you mean, ' _do something about it'_?...Unless that something is you Jedi mind-tricking me out of this agony?”

 

“Uh, no. Not what I had in mind,” she says, lips twitching, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him.

 

“What then, O Wise Jedi, would you have me do?” he demands.

 

“ _Tell him_.”

 

He looks predictably flabbergasted at what she thinks is really a perfectly reasonable suggestion.

 

“You’re insane. You’re crazy. I’m- no! Did you forget where he  _is_ right now? What would be the point? He’s already- he’s got someone, Rey. I’m not going to... lay it out just to get pushed away because I'm too late. I’m not that brave. No _one’s_ that brave,” he says, crossing his arms.

 

She decides to say nothing, and continues to stare him down.

 

Predictably, he goes on the defensive almost at once.

“Stop looking at me like that! We’ve- we’ve got a _great_ thing, Finn and I. We’re friends. We’re great friends. I’m not going to ruin that by- by throwing feelings at him when he’s just...just getting to start something of his own for the first time in his life. That would be...well, it wouldn’t be right. He’d feel bad, and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it, and it would get weird, and- all the good we have would just fall apart. It’s not worth it.”

 

“Poe,” she says. Her emotions are a mix of his heartbreak and her own annoyance. “You’ve almost died _three times_ in the past month alone. It’s 'not worth it'? All of our days are numbered. It could end at any moment. And you think it’s _not worth it_? To tell the person you love how much you adore him?”

 

“Not if it means I could ruin everything. Come on, Rey. You know I’m not a coward. I don’t balk against tough odds. But I’m not going to throw everything I have in when there’s not a chance,” Poe says and she can see resignation in his eyes that she’s never before seen there.

 

It's been a while since Crait. She wonders how long he's been suffering through this torment and feels a pang as she realizes it must have been the whole time.

 

“Well, I’m telling you, I think there is one,” she says firmly.

 

He looks at her, and his expression is mostly disbelief, but she sees a glimmer of hope there. “You do?... _Why?_ ”

 

She gives him another long, steady look before trying to articulate it. 

“Here’s what I know about Finn, and I think know him better than anyone. I know his _heart_ better than anyone and I know how big it is. How easily and readily it’s able to love. Yes, he cares about Rose. He’d do anything for her. But I know, without a doubt, he’d do anything for _you_ , too. And I know he grins whenever he talks about you, and lights up whenever you walk into a room. And I think there’s plenty of room in that giant heart of his for you to fit just fine, Poe Dameron. You’ve already got a place there. You just need to be honest with him. Tell him exactly _how_ you want to fit. If you want more, I think he's more than capable of making room. If there’s one power Finn’s got in infinite supply, it’s love.”

 

Poe blinks at her for a moment. Then gives her a slight glare. “That...was a surprisingly convincing argument. Did you use some sneaky Jedi thing on me just then?” 

 

There's a spark of light in his eyes again.

 

She smirks. “No. Pure unaltered persuasive talents were all that was behind that. But it worked, didn't it? You’ll talk to him?”

 

Poe shuts his eyes tight, a pained grimace marring his handsome features. He nods. “I...I guess. But it’s probably the most terrifying thing I ever have or ever will imagine doing.”

 

“I know," she says, patting him again. "But you can’t let the possibility slip away.”

 

Poe nods, still looking nervous, but she sees a determination and resolve in his eyes too, and it fills her with warmth.

 

Finn, she thinks, is in for a confusing, but very much welcome surprise.

 

“Rey,” Poe says. “One more question…”

 

“Yes. You can both crash here tonight,” she says, nudging him with her elbow. BB-8 lets out a series of happy beeps, and Rey picks up the remote to rewind the holo they definitely missed the ending to.

 

She'd better watch the damn film now. She has a feeling that when Poe gets a hold of Finn to watch it with him, he’d prefer she not be around. Which she is perfectly okay with.  

 

**Author's Note:**

> Well. There's a bit of light-hearted silly stuff for you. 
> 
> I truly loved Rose and her interactions with Finn but I wish they hadn't pushed the romance angle. That said, I didn't feel right writing her out of the picture entirely, so I tried to keep it open-ended. 
> 
> Maybe Finn realizes he and Rose have a platonic kind of love and Poe's the one who owns his heart. Maybe they can work out a poly sitch that everyone's happy with. You can envision what works best for you. 
> 
> Feedback is love! If you can spare a moment to share what you think, it would mean a lot <3


End file.
